I agree with you about the PITA of using an adaptor. To sort this out
I think you have set some priorities. You want low noise at high ISO,
you have decided small size is not anything, and you want access to
good primes that do not use an adaptor.
Let me add my own prejudices. 1) I would not buy a used digital
camera. They are just too complex to know what you are getting
without a warranty unless it was from a trusted friend and really,
really cheap. 2) I would not start saving for something that is not
out yet and has not been reviewed. I waited two years for the E-1
after its announcement before I gave up. When it came out it was an
expensive 5MP camera in a cheap 6MP camera world. Been there. Done
that. The RD-1 is expensive, has a short rangefinder base limiting
you to normal or wide angle lenses. Scratch the digital rangefinder
for now.
Pentax. Has primes but behind in other technologies like image
stabilization. Has poor noise control and only the promise of further
development. Pentax has been technically static since their first
digital model came out, just repackaging the same camera. I am not
optimistic about its future even with the merger.
Canon. Has primes. Digital noise is superbly controlled across the
whole line. Up to the minute technology in lenses and cameras. Not
going away. The inexpensive models are nearly as small as an OM.
Nikon. Has primes. More high ISO noise than Canon, but much better
than Pentax. The inexpensive D50 is the exception and is actually
better than some of the Canon models for noise. ISO 800 would not
present a problem for any Nikon. More conservative and not as quick
to add new technologies as Canon, but quicker than Canon to update
lenses for digital. Very nice ergonomics. Not going away.
So, if I were you, and I know I am not, I would get an inexpensive
Canon or Nikon, pick up a couple of used autofocus primes and have
fun. I have used two Nikons and have no trouble with manual focus,
but don't feel I need to use it often.
Viewfinders. Be sure you are looking and handling the camera in a
real camera store and that it has a charged battery. The LCD overlays
for the viewfinders make them look dim with no battery and you will
get a wrong impression if you just pick one up and look through it at
one of the super stores.
Buydig.com seems to handle a lot of factory refurbished cameras at
good savings. I am very happy with my Oly C-7000 zoom purchased there.
Winsor
Long Beach, California, USA
On Apr 27, 2006, at 10:15 PM, Peter Klein wrote:
> Hi, I'm Peter, and I am deep in the digital dumps. :-)
>
> Seriously, I am a confirmed rangefinder shooter. I also have an
> OM-2 and a
> few Zuikos. I really prefer the look and dynamic range of film.
> But like
> many, I don't have a lot of time and I hate scanning. Sometimes,
> you just
> need digital convenience and speed, and don't want to deal with film.
>
> About a year and a half ago, I decided to get a DSLR. I read lots of
> reviews and pixel
> peepings. I played with several DSLRs at a local camera store. It
> came
> down to three cameras--the Pentax *ist D, the Olympus E-1 and the
> Canon
> 10D. (The 20D, *ist DS, E-300 and E-500 were not out yet).
>
> The Pentax had the nicest viewfinder (and the easiest to focus
> manually). It felt a little small. I have a bunch of old Olympus
> OM lenses, and those wouldn't work on the Pentax. They would work on
> the Canon--with a $175 adapter. I didn't like the Canon
> viewfinder, nor the huge size of its lens mount and many lenses.
>
> I liked the E-1 viewfinder almost as much as the Pentax'. Olympus was
> giving away the OM-E-1 lens adapter. The E-1 price had dropped
> from overly
> high to fairly reasonable. The E-1 felt good in my hands. And though
> Olympus was not making any fast primes yet, they appeared to be on the
> lens "road map."
>
> Fast forward to the present. I feel like I made the wrong choice, and
> I'm feeling rather fed up with Olympus. I'm an available light
> hound,
> and the Oly is one of the noisier cameras at high ISOs. Yes, I
> can clean
> up ISO 800 images with Neat Image, but it's a lot of work.
>
> Olympus changed the road map. There are no fast digital Zuiko primes,
> except a 50/2, which is too long for most indoor work. The OM
> lenses work
> OK, but only with stop-down metering. Metering and exposure are
> off at
> widest apertures--in different directions. Using a 28/2.8 as a
> normal lens
> is an exercise in frustration--I just can't focus it. The 50/3.5
> macro is
> wonderful. So is my late-serial 50/1.4 But, due to some fluke of
> the 4/3
> design, the 50/1.4 only gives me a f/1.8
> worth of light at the sensor, so using it wider than f/2 is
> pointless. And
> it's a portrait/medium tele lens on the E-1. Stop-down metering is
> a PITA
> except for static subjects.
>
> I like small and light. I realize the E-1 plus standard zoom is
> smaller
> and lighter than the better Canon and NIkon offerings, but it's a lot
> bigger an heavier than an OM or Leica and a prime.
>
> So I'm stuck with a triple whammy--noisy camera, no fast lenses in the
> normal range, and I live in the Pacific Northwest, which is fairly
> light-deprived a good part of the year. I find myself putting Pentax
> *ist DS bodies into my E-bray "watched items," along with the
> occasional
> 20D or R-D1.
>
> Oh, yeah, the R-D1. As I said, I'm an RF kind of guy.
> Despite the absurd price, I would have bought and R-D1 long ago but
> for the QC
> issues, the question of Epson's long term commitment, and the fact
> that
> I can only use it with contact lenses. With glasses, I can only
> see the
> 50mm viewfinder frames (effective 75mm).
>
> So, what would you do if you were me?
>
> 1. Shut up and keep shooting film for now. There's a digital
> Leica M in your
> future. Start saving big-time.
>
> 2. Olympus is what it is. Sell the E-1, along with your OM stuff,
> take
> your losses, and buy a used Pentax *ist body and 50/1.7 or 50/1.4.
> Use
> it to satisfy your digital lusts until the digital RF of your
> dreams comes
> out, be it Leica, Zeiss, or
> Epson R-D2.
>
> 3. Sell the E-1, but get a used Canon 20D body. Or one of the
> digital
> Rebels. Plus a Canon 50/1.8 or 50/1.4 and a Katz Eye screen. And the
> CameraQuest adapter for your OM lenses.
>
> 4. Olympus will come through eventually. Hang tight. The new sensor
> in the Olympus E-330 shows promise. A Japanese Olympus executive did
> say recently that they recognize that primes are needed and they will
> come eventually. Your 14-54/2.8-3.5 is a great lens, better than any
> other kit lens. It will work well on a newer body.
>
> Sorry for the rant, but my frustration level hit some critical
> point this
> week. Any thoughts?
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